Crippled Caddis

jdmidwest wrote: <Good article. I too like the air rifles to keep the neighbors guessing whos shooting all the critters. I currently own 10 air powered and 3 CO2 weapons. I have 4 Crosman 140's, a Crosman 120, and a Daisy Powerline 822 in .22 caliber, all pump up rifles in various states of repair and refurb. I have a Benjamin 347, Powerline 880, and an RWS Model 34 in .177. I have a pump up Crosman 1377 pistol. I have a Crosman 1008 and Crosman 357 CO2 pellet pistol and a Daisy 15T CO2 BB pistol. Last, but not least, A Red Ryder BB Gun from when I was a kid, my first..> Yup, you're the real deal---a true 'airhead' like myself. Don't have my original BB gun because I got it when I was 3 which would have been @ '42-'43. But I hve the exact duplicate that I found several years ago. They really do have a stronger spring and are harder to cock and shoot harder than curret iterations from Daisy.I can recall how hard it was to cock for a little feller and how bad it hurt when I didn't quite finish the deal and the lever slammed my fingers. I recall my Mother keeping an icebag on my hand and that all 4 finger turned blue immediately rather than hours later. Probably broke some but poor country people didn't run to the doctor for anything short of life threatening things back then. If an icebag or a rag soaked in 'coal oil' (kerosene) wouldn't cure anything then time would---mostly. I do however have my 1st and 2nd pellet guns. First one is a Crosman 101 in .22 recieved for Xmas of '48 and the next year I got the companion pistol, the 130. You think I wasn't treadng some tall cotton with TWO such fine weapons? But that old 101 earned it's keep. It put a lot of game on the table over the years and even after I went away to the Army my Daddy continued to use it for quiet work. One of the finest moments of my boyhood was when my Dad refused to take me along with him on opening day of Dove season. So I took the 101 and I hit the pasture. I was merciless on the Doves and at the end of the day I'd killed more than Dad! Now THAT was magic bragging rights for an 11-12 year old! I recovered it from a corner of their 'backroom' in the late '60s and determined to rebuild it to its' former glory. I redid the wood, repainted the metal (wish I could remember with what because it's holding up GREAT!) I found Paul Landith to rebuild the innards. And that was the start of the madness. Paul just had too may fine old airguns of assorted origins standing around that could be 'liberated' from his tender mercies for what now would appear virtually giveaway prices. It didn't take me long to figure out I could buy 'em cheaper if Paul hadn't already repaired them so my learning process began, mostly with Crosmans. I admit to only recently starting to repair my own Benjis, Sheridans and early Crosman internal valved guns. For years I let them scare me because I couldn't SEE what was down inside. Shoulda taken the opportunity while I COULD see before my eyes got so blamed old.;o( <My favorites would have to be the 140's or the RWS. The 140 has taken alot of game and pests from my younger days. Target practice was blackbirds over the hog feeders. I have killed a few rabbits, crows, squirrels, and several other things with the 140. The RWS is even more deadly and is the weapon of choice now when rabbits invade the garden and neighbors are still sleeping.> The 140s and later 1400s are my favorites from the Crosman camp followed by the 100 series guns like my 1st. But it's hard to fault Benjamin or Sheridan. They found designs that worked and stuck with them until gobbled up by the Crosman beancounters. My old 101 is ready for another rebuild and this time I'll do it myself---when it reaches the top of a looong list! Dano can testify that I don't have to worry about offending the neighbors here where I live. Got a shooting range that stretches out to 125 yards, the longest area free eough of trees yet semi-level on the whole 20+ acres. Deer, turkey and squirrels virtually overrun us but I've quit hunting. Getting old does that to you. You wake up one morning with too much reverence for life to want to take any more of it and quietly repent of just how much you have taken. The only thing for which I yet bear any ill will are tiny dots on paper. <I have an old Daisy 880 made back in '72 that shoots great and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Back when the quality was great.> I have 2 of those early ones getting close to the top of the to-do list. One of my own for some experimental work I've been thinking about and one for my wife's hand therapist. It was his 1st gun and he's teaching his daughter to shoot with it so I volunteered to refresh it for them. Both guns are from the brass compression tube/metal pump lever era and will make good strong shooters when I get thru with them. I think mine will be quite surprising.;o) CC

<You wanna talk BB guns huh? I used to work in Daisy QC for over 5 years. Don't buy them under any circumstances. Just my opinion after working there.> I pretty well agree with the exception of the 499 & the Walther barrelled match guns. <After shooting many numerous brands I would disagree with you on the spanish models. Well, at least the Gamo brand. They use to be a very good gun unless something has changed with them in the last 5 years.> Gamo has been raising their reputation in recent years but they still have a long way to go. You happened to get a good one, more an oddity than an average in earlier years. The Model 126 Olympic gun by El Gamo that Daisy sold for a few years was very accurate indeed and placed well at the '84 Olympics in Calif. IIRC. But it DID have a Walther barrel. I managed to talk Daisy into selling me one of the last 2 they had kept as 'loaners' several years before they moved from AR to MO. And it was quality all the way! The worst 'hits' on El Gamo results from an advertising program that quotes velocities shot with pellets made of reconstituted mouse farts rather than lead. In other words they lie thru their teeth! But from my own standpoint and that of everyone who likes to tinker with and/or maintain their own guns the importer will not sell parts to either the public or independent repair stations. In other words if you want an El Gamo repaired you have no choice of where or by whom---it's El Gamo or suck hind tit. <Personally, I wouldn't own a German one either from the test we did on them.> The German guns, Diana (sold here and branded as RWS) and Weirauch (sold here and branded as Beeman) have a well-deserved reputation for accuracy and durability. RWS and Beeman however are busily destroying their own reputations by adding Chinese and Spanish guns to their product lines. Beeman, once the quality standard for airguns in the US, has almost completely reversed the reputation that Dr. Robt. Beeman worked so hard to establish only to have the new owner, who promised to maintain the Beeman standards of excellence, start prostituting his reputation as soon as the $ changed hands and the papers were signed. <The CZ guns were pretty nice though.> I'm a big fan of their medium powered break-barrel guns & rimfires. In my book the best buy on the market on an accuracy per dollar basis! IMO the CZ/Brno barrels are 2nd only to Walther and that by a fine margin. I have a CZ200 'Junior' 'practice gun'. In other words not quite of full-bore Olympic grade quality. But I've never shot a finer barrel. If times get rough and I have to sell everything I own it'll be among the last to go---if it does at all. <The Crosman shot is the best for the money IMO.> I've had many friends on the 'inside' of Daisy over the years. One once told me about attending some big BB competition. Somehow their ammo got lost in transit and the night before the big shoot they raided all the Wal-Marts in a wide radius and bought them out of Crosman 'Copperhead' BBs. As he admitted it was better than their Match shot anyway. I haven't found that to be true of the case of Match BBs I got some years ago. I certainly hope they're still making it and the 499. <Once again, DON'T buy the Daisy shot, that is how most BB guns jam, due to oversized shot.> I thoroughly agree! Every BB gun I ever had brought to me to be cleared contained a mishapen Daisy BB jammed in the barrel. I've never seen one with a jammed Crosman. Never.

<I had to dig out my Benjamin Model 310 to see excactly what the model # is. 177 cal and it has dispatched many, and I mean many, critters over the past 30 some odd years. I'm not sure where my gun falls in the quality area but it is deadly. It is by far the best Xmas present I ever got. Ranks above shotguns, flyrods and golf clubs. I don't know how many hours I've put in behind the trigger but they are best memory's.> You have a somewhat rare bird there, a smoothbore BB caliber Benjie. It was built from 1957 'til 1974 along with the rifled .177 cal. Model 317 and .22 cal. 312. I have the later model 340 which companioned the 347 & 342 from @ 1974 onward for many years. Good with pellets to a little over 10 yards and not too accurate with BBs at any range at all, but most accurate with the Daisy Match BB (that is ground perfectly round, somewhat expensive and must be bought directly from Daisy with a valid reason such as sponsoring a youth team) or such has been my experience with my 340. FWIW, the Daisy Model 499 match grade BB gun is amazingly accurate with the match BBs at the distance they are designed to function. 5 yards. Again, as with the Match grade BBs, they don't sell them to 'just anybody'. Even my Red Ryder improves enormously with the match grade BBs. If you have a child or grandchild you want to teach to shoot find a way to get your hands on a 499 and the good ammo! Or bite the bullet and spend the money up front to get their 853 Single stroke pnuematic(SSP). It comes with a Lothar Walther barrel and will stack match grade pellets in the same hole every time the shooter does his part. Nothing with a Walther barrel that shoots as good as that little Daisy comes cheap so get ready for sticker shock if you look it up. But look at it like this----after your young shooter 'outgrows' it you may get to keep it. It'll make you feel good every time you pick it up and look at paper with terminal intent.;o) At this juncture it might be a good idea to point out that virtually all match grade guns are expensive---some unbelievably so---and shoot between 500 feet per second (FPS) and 650 FPS. The common, waisted 'Diablo' pellet used in competition is most aerodynamically stable in that velocity range at the international airgun competition distance of 10 meters. Field grade guns commonly shoot from @ 650FPS to just over 1000FPS. High velocities are the most used selling feature these days since virtually no new shooters realize that pellets have a preferred velocity range for accuracy. The one biggest No-No is pushing a pellet super-sonic, generally considered to be @ 1100FPS at sealevel. Passing thru the speed of sound destabilizes a waisted pellet both going and coming and is a virtually certain way to miss what you're shooting at. Guns that shoot heavy pellets (14 grains or more) betweem 650 & 850FPS seem to always be the most accurate and deadly hunting weapons. My own favorite birdfeeder defender is an elderly Walther LG-55 target gun. Designed and first built from 1955 for many years it won the German national championships (at that time functionally the World Championship) so many times it was ridiculous and is still winning in the hands of competent shooters in obscure regional matches. My gun is a refugee from a bunch of guns bought from Walther as marksmanship trainers by the Turkish Army. Bought and brought into the states by a military surplus dealer some years ago the guns were as ragged looking as you can imagine something used by Turkish soldiers could be. Even after rehabbing the exterior my 2 are still less than impressive in appearance, but it is what the barrel can do that impresses. After untold 1000s of rounds, mistreatment, abuse and neglect in a sandy desert environment the guns are still more accurate than the owner can ever hope for. Walther LG-55s and thier competitor, the Weirauch HW-55 can still be had from other airgun hobbiests. In a collector gun condition is everything so the better guns can get expensive, but occasionally an 'appearance challenged' gun like mine will come along for $300 or even less. You can also pay up to a grand for a great specimen. That oughta make the Daisy 853 look less expensive.;o) <Just now when I got it out, it pumps but won't hold air or build up pressure. It's been in my closet for at least 10 years but after reading your post I want to get it going again. Any ideas?> I don't suggest repairing the older guns like your Benjie with the internal valve that requires a special tool unless I know the individual and their mechanical apptitude. I normally refer them to someone that I trust deeply, Ron Sauls of Bryan and Assoc. in Anderson, S.C. You can access his website at: <http://www.bryanandac.com/> or call him at: 864 - 261 - 6810. He specializes in the repair and supply of NOS or reproduction parts for the older American classics from ALL makers. If you DO feel competent to repair your own he sells the kit with all needed parts for @ $25 and the tool for between $10 & $15. HTH, CC

Note to Phil: if you find this board inappropriate for this post do as you will but since it springs from 'jscheetz' wader problem I'm posting it here where it has a better chance of being seen by the majority. CC 'jscheetz' comments regarding squirrels eating his waders got me to thinking. (Under most circumstances a sign of danger to my own thin reputation and the safety of those standing nearby). If you feed birds or wildlife as many fishermen and outdoorsmen and women do in backyard or on a deck then you're going to attract something else----rodents. Mice, rats and, the bane of many a homeowner, the ubiquitous, attic invading, electrical wire chewing, wader eating squirrel. All rodents can and will chew on electrical wire insulation, leaving them bare and setting up a possibility of electrically ignited fires in homes, barns, autos and farm equipment so they are a hazard to both infrastructure and lives. They are also disease carriers of legendary repute and not something you want living inside your walls or attic. I also often see references on this board as well as others concerning pest birds such as Starlings, English Sparrows, feral Rock Doves (the domestic pigeon by proper nomenclature) as well as rodents, skunks, coons and 'possums decimating feed sources provided for songbirds and game species. Often extreme frustration with the situation is registered by the complainer regarding state or local ordinances regarding control methods or simply the impracticality of controlling predation with firearms due to safety considerations and/or complaints by gun-hating neighbors. I can give no advice concerning neighborhood anti-gun nuts, firearms use or legal implications under any circumstance, (that can be determined in each individual instance only by consulting local legal authorities and applicable local, state and national law and statute!) nor do I presume to advise concerning moral and legal implications regarding terminal removal of game or non-game species that can be said to be depredating. Moral considerations are between the individual and his concience and problem wildlife concerns should be taken to MDC for advice and any permits required under existing laws. Some urban regions prohibit airguns being fired inside city limits by local statute. Ultimately it is entirely the responsibiity of each individual to determine the legality and means of pest removal under prevailing circumstance and location. What I do have to offer is an area of expertise that I can share with the hope that it might provide the information needed by some under certain circumstances. I am what might pass in normal society as an 'airgun expert'. (Ask Dano for credibility) I've used them for @ 65 years. In the past 35-40 years I've bought, sold, repaired, collected, rebuilt, modifed, shot, hunted with extensively and just generally 'fooled around' with airguns as a hobby and a 'shed-behind-the-barn' business. While I no longer do repair work for the public I can and will offer advice to those on this board if they have questions that I can address from my somewhat narrow base of experience. Airgun industry research has for long indicated that domestic pest and vermin control is the reason given for the purchase of a great percentage of 'adult airguns' so there may be some that need a little help in selecting the proper tool. My greatest area of knowledge lies with the classic domestically produced multi-pump pnuematics and CO2 powered airarms. I have more than a little experience with spring-powered airguns from around the world but certainly pose as no expert on the subject. Even so some areas of interest and concern to those just attempting to learn about the genre' are so clear that I can often offer valid general advice in regards to 'sproingers'. In broad general terms you should avoid anything built in countries other than Germany and Britain. If not you're treading a very slippery slope in regard to accuracy and advertised velocity claims. Period! To be a bit more specific try to avoid Spanish and Chinese guns. While you might be lucky and get a good one it's a crapshoot. To make it even more difficult to make a wise choice you should be aware that many famous names in American airguns and firearms are now selling Chinese, Spanish and Turkish products from those countries and others and stamped with the American makers name and trademark. That raises the ante on the crapshoot and places research needs on the shoulder of the buyer before buying a 'name' that may not reflect historical quality standards. Let me make one thing abundantly clear----high quality imported airguns are NOT cheap! Quality (read accuracy!) costs---and always will. Therefore the alternative I prefer is reviving the old American built classics. While they too can be a bit of a gamble I know that if I start with a dependable name and a good model that my chance of winding up with a gun comparable in accuracy and power to a $300-$2000 imported German or English gun for @ half of that lowest cost number is very good indeed. And if, after investing the $ and effort I find that it doesn't meet my personal standards of accuracy there's always a ready nostalgia fueled market for them that will allow me to break even at worst and make a little sometimes. As long as I'm on the subject I might as well indulge a personal goal---should anyone have or find a Sheridan Model A or B or a Crosman Model 107/108 'Town & Country' or the 1923 Crosman 'front-pumper' please contact me---they are my personal 'Holy Grails' in collecting. Regarding old 'Amuricun Arn' I can often give useful advice concerning (in order of expertise) Crosman, Benjamin, Sheridan and a few less well-known and even obscure makes such as Rochester and Plainsman. What I CANNOT advise on intelligently in general terms is the later models from domestic producers from the 'potmetal and plastic' era as I refuse to have anything to do with such utter trash. While I readily admit to an unbending opinion in such matters it is MY opinion and so long as my advice is free I prefer to choose how it is dispensed. ;o) To narrow it down a lot I can offer cogent commentary on Model 101, 140, 160, 180, and 1400 series Crosman MSPs (multi stroke pnuematics) and CO2 powered airarms. Models 312 & 342 Benjamins as well as Model 'C' & 'F' Sheridans also lie within my area of knowledge. For those peripherally knowledgable about the enumerated makes and models you will have noticed that all models referenced are in either .22 caliber in Crosman & Benjamin or .20 caliber regarding Sheridan alone. The restriction to .20 & .22 caliber is not without reason. As hunter/killers the American gunning public, except for a very few old oddballs such as myself, are relative newcomers to airguns as hunting weapons, but our British kinsmen, restricted as they are to a small, densely populated island, are by comparison expert in their use on game. And, as such, they have a pragmatic and utterly practical rule-of-thumb concerning quarry and caliber that is well worth committing to memory if you would enter the world of airgunning with pest control or hunting parameters uppermost in mind: ".177 for feathers, .22 for fur". There is simply no way to pin it down more cogently or succinctly in my lengthy experience afield. For reference purposes should you find yourself getting involved with the airgunning hobby you will find the caliber argument one of those perennially argued discussions points with little agreement and NO resolutions. To make is easier and very simple just take the English experience as rote and you can save yourself (and, most importantly!---your quarry) much pain. The case of the .20 caliber is a bit more complicated. Sheridan, when they set out to create the 'perfect' airgun, after much thought, research and soul-searching settled on .20 caliber as the best of both worlds. A lot of personal experience, testing, and hunting, over more years than I care to admit makes me think they 'got it right the 1st time'. 'Nuff said on that! So if pest birds are your ONLY concern then a 'magnum' class airgun, defined as 12 ft. #s of energy or more, (even a standard velocity .22 rimfire exceeds 100 ' #s) .177 will handle the vast majority of your needs. BUT! A .20 or .22 will whack the feral feathered fellers with extreme prejudice and give you the needed power for furry predators should the need arise and your marksmanship warrant! Me? I have 'em all! I like to make tiny holes in paper and for that purpose .177 reigns supreme! Why else would ALL international and Olympic shooting contests mandate the caliber? It just makes sense. Even if a 10 shot group all enters a single hole (which is often very near the case in Olympic competition!) one of .177 is a heckuva lot smaller than one of .220 and wins hands down! But for me it's a matter of economics---I can buy 500 rounds of the highest target grade .177 for almost the same $ as equivilent .22 caliber pellets. 'Cept for one thing-----because of the nature of target shooting .22s simply aren't made to the same quality standard as .177. That is NOT to say that extremely accurate field grade ammo isn't available in .20 & .22. Crosman 'Premiers', JSB 'Exacts' and Beeman 'Kodiaks' will give hand selected, individually packed-in-styrofoam, extremely expensive, German-made, Olympic grade wadcutters a real run for the money at target ranges and eclipse them entirely and embarrassingly at practical hunting ranges. Practical hunting ranges. How to define? The 'instant, lights-out' kill zone on a Starling, mouse or ground squirrel size target is roughly 1/2". On a Gray or Fox squirrel or rabbit it's @ an inch. Much the same applys to a Turkeys' brain-pan. So 'hunting range' is ENTIRELY predicated on the combination of conditions, gun, ammo and shooting ability. In the final result the question truly devolves to this---"All circumstances considered, at what range can you and your gear make a surgically accurate, humane, 'lights-out' kill 100% of the time"? That's a pretty severe test, isn't it? But it's the only one with an iota of relevance. That obviously implies total familiarity and utter proficiency with your chosen weapon. But therein lies the fascination with airguns! Almost any venue---backyard, basement, barn, shop or even a long hall inside the house with a good pellet trap at the end can be a target range and, once the initial investment is amortized, shooting simply doesn't get much less expensive. And if you're a target shooter of centerfire or rimfire persuasion and think that airguns hold nothing of value for you I have only a single comment----you couldn't be more wrong if you worked at it deliberately! EVERY aspect of accuracy is embodied in all shooting no matter the range or the operating principle of the weapon so long as it is inherantly accurate! Breathing control, trigger control, sight picture management, ranging, ammo selection and on & on ad infinitum are encapsulated in microcosm with airguns. 'Get it right' with airguns and it translates directly to target range or hunting field. Absolutely nothing beats trigger time on target! For reference purposes look at what has happened within BR-50 in the last half decade. Backing up once more to control of feathered pests on feeders there are a few considerations that should be reviewed: .177 is sufficient if------ spring-powered guns are much quieter than all other operating principles moderately powered springers (6 to 10 FPE) are legal 'stealth' guns only a dab short of silenced weapons and completely up to the task on 'feathers' given accuracy from system and user 'tuned' (i.e., blueprinted by a competent spring gun specialist for smoothness and accuracy with often an increase in velocity) moderately powered springers ARE stealth weapons by any definition! Domestic MSPs don't HAVE to be pumped up to magnum levels of energy (and noise) to be effective at short range SOME domestic MSPs such as the Crosman 140/1400 series and the Daisy 880 are just inherantly quieter because of the valving principles on which they operate! Now!----having recognized the Daisy 880, a definitive 'potmetal & plastic' POS, I have to admit that I have encountered a few early models prior to the plactic recievers and pump levers that were paragons of quiet accuracy in both .177 & .22. But I must equally acknowledge that such examples were few and far between indeed. Another shining example of brilliant engineering subverted by pragmatic bean-counting. :-( (Should you be so fortunate as to possess an accurate 880, or the .22 version, with metal pump lever, brass compression tube and metal reciever clamshells, but need more than the embarrassingly anemic factory power level contact me off-list for advice.) Insofar as fraudulently friendly furry foragers are concerned my recommendations are encapsulated in the short overview of caliber selection in the paragraphs above insofar as airguns are concerned. But, although a dedicated, lifetime lover of pnuematic powered arms, my best suggestion if your immediate vicinity, downrange safety, neighborly opinion and relevent law allows the choice they are still most efficiently and inexpensively controlled with target-grade, sub-sonic, hollow-point .22 rimfires in an accurate gun/ammo combo directed by a competent marksman. The Remington 'Sub-sonic' target-grade long rifle ammo is little if any louder than CCI CB caps but yields approximately 3 time the terminal energy on target and is FAR more accurate in most guns. The CCI CB caps cited cross my chronogrph screen at just under 700fps muzzle velocity giving @ 29fpe by a quick computation. I've had airguns that shoot faster, much harder and a LOT straighter too! Disclaimer: This announcement appears as a matter of record only. Void where prohibited. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Batteries not included. Contents may settle during shipment. Use only as directed. No other warranty expressed or implied.Your mileage may vary. Objects are closer than they appear. Opinions are those of the author and do not reflect those of the publication. Some restrictions apply. And all and any other lawyerly weasle phraseology. CC

Before you build another rod build a rod turner. Punch up <www.allelectronics.com> and order one of their surplus geared 30 RPM 120 V. motors for $2.50. I recently built 2 new rod turners and I'm sitting here looking at the spare motor, Part # ACM-105. I just made L brackets out of scrap wood, drilled a hole with a spade bit at the top of the vertical section to fit the motor and discovered that it fit tightly enough I didn't even have to use screws thru the two mounting lugs provided. I wirenutted a cord salvaged from an expired appliance onto the pigtails on the motor and use no swith. I just plug it in to start and unplug it to quit. The little motor draws so little amperage (3 W. rating)that it's not a problem. I AM thinking I'll install a rheostat to control the RPM before I build any more rods however. CC

DC wrote: <Most politicans I've ever met can honestly do this in 10 words or less> DING! You are guilty of a Language Offense, First Class. Politician. And honesty should NEVER be used in the same sentence as they are contradictory terms. As such they are mutually cancelling and the sentence is incomplete and nonsensical. This is a one-time warning. Further offenses will require you to open your tacklebox or fly boxes to unsupervised raids by non-offenders.

Phoenix wrote: <my wife and I are thinking of relocating there from Texas in the future> My wife and I took that step almost 20 years ago. Come on in, the water's fine! Just be prepared to blend in rather than stand out if you want acceptance. CC

Truly outstanding rant DC! And pretty much spot-on from where I sit. Another manifestation of the Dr. Spock syndrome IMO. I highly suspect that those who won't agree are a part of the problem rather than the solution. CC

While I have judiciously avoided responding to the current debate concerning 'global warming'I'd really like to point out that the entire public furor is predominately predicated on the arguments of sociologists and political scientists rather than the meteorlogical community, but I'm afraid that would ignite a firestorm of dissent. Further to the point is something I don't care to research in order to prove----a decade or more ago many of those currently riding the 'global warming' bandwagon for grants were the 'Chicken Littles' of a coming ice age. To have witnessed such an extreme switch of horses midstream leaves grave doubts in my (occasionally) logical thought processes. ;-) As a long-term but admittedly amatuer student of pre-history, geology, paleontology and archeology I am highly cognizant of the climate extremes, often unexplainably precipitous, that the Earh has endured as witnessed by the geological record, yet I entertain no shred of doubt that humanity is affecting current climate. To think otherwise would be extremely disingenuous. In point of fact it is my own carefully considered opinion that it is the human race that is the most serious pollutant on the planet---there's simply too many of us. But the record, such as it is---both historically and geologically, proves that the biosphere occasionally makes 'adjustments' by shrugging off excess humanity thru war, pestilance or climatological means. I highly suspect such an adjustment is both overdue and imminent. The lessons of history are clear only to those willing to stare reality in the face and that tool seems to be decreasingly underutilized by a society that is so irresponsible that truth takes a poor second place to wishful thinking by all extremes. OF

Ozark: Check your PMs. CC

Sho' nuff!

Ozark wrote: <It just happens I'm going down to Lousiana to meet some of the best Pirouge builders in the nation.> You gonna go visit Keith & Seedtick?

Thom wrote: <On my way home I stopped at Bass pro catalog store and they had three or four wally marshall 12' crappie rods that are set up much like a fly rod and are rated for 4# to 12# line> And with a cork grip they could call it a 'Salmon' rod and get $400 for it.;o) They work fine once you figure out the line it wants---been using one for years.

SIO3, Good thing you weren't around earlier this Spring then; you mighta drowned watching me walk on water all the way to shore. I think I was almost dry from the heat of my passage by the time I achieved Terra Firma without Snaka.;p) CC

Having been raised in NE Texas I have NO problem distinguishing Cottonmouth from common water snakes. After 17 years in the Ozarks I've seen 2 actual Cottonmouth. But the common brown watersnake that is ubiquitous to the point of being ridiculous on the Spring River of North Arkansas still can put me on the bank when he insists on swimming between my legs! As some have already pointed out the true Cottonmouth is a short, very thick, fore-shortened snake that is predominantly a dirty black in color. While he is normally somewhat reclusive he can and often does react aggressively to his perception of incursion on his personal comfort zone. So long as you see him first and give him a wide detour there is no problem, but he WILL readily defend his territory. Remain aware of where you and your feet are and you should encounter no problems. CC

Hi Robin! <I know that this is an older thread. But are those 3/8th " screws still working out OK? Any issues with them backing out?> No issues with them backing out but if I recall correctly I may have dipped them in some sort of glue just before running them in with a screw-shooter---probably epoxy since I use it for many things. But they're @ 5 years old now and when I recently had to glue one of the felt soles back on I noticed that some were so worn from use that there were no sharp edges left so I replaced them. <I was wading below Texoma dam yesterday and between the wind and the snot rocks it was tasking to say the least. (I spoke in French on at least two separate occasions).> Ah yes! I remember some of those rocks well and have addressed them in a foriegn language myself a few times.;o)

Welcome to the madhouse Bill! CC

<Unfortunately, its not "guide etiquette". Its just plain rude, no matter what the situation. Sadly, its the "I'm the only person in the universe" mentality.... fairly common these days.> My perception is that it's proof that the 'Golden Rule' has became tarnished through no longer being either taught or honored. CC

<I'm starting to think maybe I'm nuts. Obviously I'm going to have to make a trip to the white sooner than I expected to try and track down this mythical size 30 fly. What a high price to pay for scientific discovery. Now if I can just convince my wife.> Surely such a selfless act in aid of your fellow man would be promptly and ungrudgingly issued a kitchen pass of unlimited duration.;o) CC

Has anyone reported this arrogant 'guide' to the licensing authorities or local game wardens? Surely there are some standards of professionalism expected by the licensing authority. CC

Thom wrote: <I have always wondered how the color of the fly line affects the presentation or the stealth of the line floating on the water. I seems to my novice mind that the bright orange and other colored lines would spook the fish more than the lighter lines or the green or brownish lines. Maybe not but I always select a line that is not as visible on the water.> A bit of thought would indicate that the fish must see the line predominantly as a solid silhouette in their 'Heaven' between them and the light source. But like yourself I still try to hedge my bets with somber colors in case my reasoning is flawed. Dano fines it down however with: <if you fish first nearest to you as not to spook them at the onset>

Trout God wrote on Nov 16th on the 'Urban Trout Fishing St. Louis' thread in post # 20: <I've never fly fished, so I couldn't tell you if these areas would be good to do so.> Trout God wrote in the opening post of 'What's the Fascination With Flyfishing' Thread on Nov. 18th: <I've never understood the fascination with fly fishing. I've tried it.> So-----TG, which is the truth? You made two distinctly seperate, contradictory statements 2 days apart. Did you try flyfishing in the interim or are you yanking the string of the flyfishers? If the latter is the case then I wish to thank you. The question produced many interesting, soul-searching answers that revealed a lot of highly principled, quite earnestly introspective mental processes indicative of some very good outdoorsmen. And in that respect it was a worthy enquiry that allowed many of us to share a bit of our most deeply held standards regarding the outdoor world and our percieved relationship with it our and stewardship of it. That is a very good thing indeed to share within this small community. But it now appears that you owe us an equally introspective and honest explanation of the original question as regards your declaration of two days prior. If you were just 'pulling our string' then it's OK by me. I like a joke myself and have no problem getting a chuckle out of my own foibles. And I suspect from the introspectively honest replies to the original question that virtually to a man those who responded will agree. And if you learned anything of value to yourself from our answers then it was a win/win deal all the way around. But by the same token that we answered with soul-baring honesty for three pages then you owe us one post of equally honest answers. CC

Gavin wrote: <Caenis mayflies maybe? Hard to guess w/o a picture.> Maybe! No pics---no clue! And I haven't been able to find my 'bug books' since moving to N. AR 17 years ago. Had he not specified 4 wings I would have jumped on midges since the white ones were popping like popcorn on the Spring River yesterday along with a credible number of #22 BWOs and one huge 'bug' I couldn't catch up with to identify. The area that the white midges were popping was where I've kick-seined incredible numbers of 'bloodworms'. Anyone know for sure if they are the progenitors of the white midges?????? CC

I think you're right. Midges are Diptera which basically sez 'two wings'. But just what you were seeing I haven't a clue. Try posing the question on John Wilsons' Flyfishing Ark & Mo board which many of the Norfork/White guides haunt to see if you can get a definitive answer.

Welcome aboard Bud! Guys---Robin is moderator on a lot of Texas Flyfishing boards and a respected member of the fishing community. He has a great blogsite and makes and peddles some of the best furled leaders available to try to support his 'habit' In short , he's 'one of us' as well as being one of the 'good guys'. CC